


"A Proposal at Pier 14", from Where the Sky Hangs

by hotpantsasami



Series: Where the Sky Hangs [9]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Makorra mention, San Francisco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 11:04:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6003412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotpantsasami/pseuds/hotpantsasami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asami is the daughter of Hiroshi Sato, a rich auto manufacturer CEO, and is studying experimental engineering in the<br/>labs at a San Francisco university, while designing new planes and cars for her father’s company the rest of the week. Korra is an amateur MMA fighter, who is training under Coach Lin Beifong to soon join the Northern California<br/>League of fighters. Korra and Asami met at a park in Monterey, CA where they were both living at the time, and<br/>decided to move into an apartment together on Ocean Beach so Asami could get some independence from her father and go to school, and Korra could further her career in fighting. This story takes place between May 1997 to Summer 1998</p>
            </blockquote>





	"A Proposal at Pier 14", from Where the Sky Hangs

     Korra had her fingers threaded through Asami’s, gripping her fist tight in the twilight chill coming from the Gate’s mouth. The cities already started to sparkle around them and they shined off Korra’s aqua eyes, Asami trying to focus on the views themselves instead of getting lost in Korra just quite yet. Korra wore her jean jacket with the patches on the back around her waist, her arms to the wind as she sported a tight-fitting t-shirt. Asami wore comfier boots like she used in the lab, but these were a new, shinier, more appropriate on-the-town pair. She wore a felt black peacoat and a pink scarf, her hair long as it whipped in the salt air off the bay.

     Korra pulled her aside to the railings, pointed out a ship going to the sea.

     “Hey, what do you think that’s one carrying? It looks like some of those are going fall off on top of the others, so careless”, Korra shrugged.

     “It’s probably going to Hong Kong, or Shanghai. Maybe Hawaii”, Asami left open-ended. She felt incredibly nervous tonight, and she wasn’t quite sure why. She looked back at where they had parked the car, luckily had found a parking spot at this time in the evening, and after mucking about traffic along the Embarcadero. They had tried to go to a Vietnamese place, but ended up going to Boudin’s because of the wait. Asami pulled her collar closer to her neck, hoped Korra wouldn’t notice quite yet she was shivering a bit.

     It had been too long that Asami hadn’t tried to talk to her about it yet. They were getting more and more intimate, in emotional, mental ways, but Asami felt lonelier as nights passed by. She wanted to try to broach Korra about movie night, and then sneak in a cuddle like they had a few times recently. Asami loved every minute of it, and it had never felt so right to lie in Korra’s arms, but she knew her break-up from Mako was still very recent and she didn’t want to stick her foot in a door that was only open so far. Her heart had been bursting at the seams the last few days, ignoring Korra partially as she spent long hours at the workshop, trying not to think of going home to sleep alone that night.

     It had been too long, it was _taking_ too long. Even though they had their share of moments, from that day in the meadows on the way to Stinson beach, that oh- so memorable day that Korra’s hand had flown to her leg as Asami went off-road in a Satomobile Jeep, and Asami had felt _unstoppable_. Whether it was the day they had nerded out at the Legion and then made fun of the golfers on the way back, and hit her favorite bakery on the way home as the sun set. The days they had went to the park, and played tennis, and watching the sweat bead on Korra’s triceps, and how they all practiced wrestling in the park together. And then that Korra and her had sparred friendly and vaguely gentle back in the apartment, Korra over her and looking down with a satisfied smirk as she lay completely helpless on the mat on the kitchen floor. 

     This was going to be hard for her, and she still wasn’t sure Korra would say yes, and agree to such a thing. She sighed deeply, holding back her emotions as she hoped she _really_ didn’t have to spend another night alone. Cuddling. It wasn’t much to ask, right? Sleeping in the same bed wasn’t that strange after that little “sleepover” Korra had effaced her with two weeks ago. It had been magical and nerve-wracking all in one, trying so hard to impress a woman while you were asleep was hard enough, but to have Korra look at you like _that_? Asami let out an audible breath, not a sigh but not an identifiable gasp either.

     Korra had been blabbing on about the lights and recounting Bolin’s trip to Angel Island, and about Coach being a dickweed at the gym the last couple days. She had failed to notice Asami’s glances cast downward, trying to hide her feelings that Korra could see welling up inside through her telling, shining, beautiful peridot eyes.

     Korra turned her back to the end of the pier, faced Asami, the towering downtown of San Francisco behind her, a billion lights shining in her eyes and dazzling Korra, as she tried to comprehend such a scene before her of the most beautiful night on the bay she had seen yet. Asami had her hands wrung together, looking down at their shoes, lost in her own sad thoughts as Korra tried to summon the courage to speak to her before the twinkling nightscape.

     How could she broach her? She knew they had grown more together recently, and admittedly… she was pretty sure she _was_ , _involved_ with Asami. She remembered the Sausalito Seahorse and standing out on the deck at night as Mako stood behind her, wondering what on earth she was doing. She always thought about Asami, she could never _stop_ thinking about Asami. She felt increasingly bad as she realized how greatly she had ignored Mako, and how complicated her feelings were, never really truly thinking about the moment and Mako except on maybe three or four occasions. Every date felt like an arranged escapade set up by her parents, friends, school, some other entity, while Korra dreamt of Asami stuffing her face with noodles across the table or calling her “oogie” as she then divulged her latest improvement to a plane design. Mako was never bad company, and she felt like she owed him more than she had given him, but her heart had only swooned and was singular in her pursuits when they had gone to Kehoe beach and the rolling sands had beckoned every feeling forth her... about _Asami_. 

     Before Korra could let more feelings engulf and confuse her, she threw an arm around Asami, who smiled meekly at her, and walked them over to the side railing again to watch the sunset. It was why they were there after all. As she heard the music of a guitar far away, jangling deep in the city, and the buzzing of couples leaving the Embarcadero restaurants for bars and to head to other clubs throughout town, the fog blowing in the scent of dry rain and salty moisture, permeated by the stinking fishy garbage pylons below. She looked back across to Oakland and the San Rafael-Richmond and the Bay Bridge cutting into the heart of the land from their jut to the sea. She took in the deep red oranges on the Golden Gate, just barely visible as twilight set in over the bay.

     Asami was grateful for Korra pulling her aside, trying her damndest not to break out crying, over the stupidest thing. She could imagine their shopping trips to the Village at Corte Madera as the holidays rolled around, watching Korra’s face enlighten as she chose clothes and lingerie and Discovery Store doo-dads that Asami would barely be able to hide from her. Then climbing the tower with all the bags in tow and feeling the wind against her done-up face, Korra pushing the windblown hairs aside to kiss her forehead. And then to head down again as Korra tried on too cute Gap sweaters and she bought them Pottery Barn furniture, or at least looked and dreamt of the superior designs. It would be the perfect day, the perfect Christmas… She had everything planned on, like she always had with everything. But she couldn’t control everything, not another person, not necessarily someone so bold as Korra…

     Asami suddenly pushed herself into Korra, hugging her fondly in her fuzzy peacoat. Korra embraced her, knowing she needed it right now. Asami let herself quietly cry, trying so hard to not want everything when she could lose everything she already had in place. She had let herself believe this before, and that had just ended her in the same place she was now.

     Korra fondly hugged Asami, feeling her little tears on her tee shirt shoulder. She rubbed her back, probably not even aware of her warm hand. She tried to keep herself from crying, sniffled loudly as she bit back her lip, thinking of Asami in the redwood groves at Muir Woods, her face aghast as she stood under the realms of giants, trying to find out how they worked, walking into every trunk she could. That hand on her hip, as she looked up and puzzled, her tattoos peeking out from her sweater, Naga between her and Asami. Asami turning around as Naga would run up, nuzzling her, Asami, her eyes piercingly soft as she would look back at Korra, like there was no one else in the world except them, Naga, and the trees. She bit her tongue back, not letting her admit to herself how much she needed Asami and how beautiful she was. She was simply Korra’s reason for getting up in the morning anymore, everything else a secondary path that would always end with Asami looking back at her over the table, tapping her pen and cocking an eyebrow over coffee.

     Korra pulled back an inch, looked at her porcelain cheek, and kissed it lightly. Asami pulled back, her eyes teary and her make-up starting to run lightly.

     “Korra, I…”, she rubbed an eye with her coat sleeve. Korra stood on her tiptoes to kiss Asami lightly on the forehead, over on the side towards the bridge, the city lights surrounding them.

     “Hey, it’s okay…”, Korra looked at her fondly, intertwining their fingers once again. Asami’s lip quivered as she accepted Korra’s hand and awaited with baited breath,

     “I don’t know what’s got you jacked up like this, but, for what it’s worth, I think you’re the most beautiful thing on this dock tonight. I know we’ve been a little busy lately, but I want us to be there for each other over the holidays, and I love having you around…”, Korra touched the back of her neck, trying to think of anything else to say. She stroked part of Asami’s hair, said sultry,

     “You’re hair’s shining like onyx, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve seen, it’s almost reflecting the…”. Asami kissed Korra on the forehead, leaving a light mark from her crimson lip shade. Asami bit her lip, more surprised at herself than Korra’s serenade. Korra dropped her jaw a moment, then burst out laughing, pulled Asami in for a bear hug.

     “Hey, you okay now?”, she said, rubbing her back. Asami nuzzled against her neck.

     “Hmm, yeah, I’m feeling better, thank you. Uh, and Korra?”. They both stepped back, Korra looking up at her confidently, hands on hips,

     “You look so beautiful too, I can’t imagine running around without a little booger like you”. Booger? That was the best she could do? She was going to try bring up the other thing more… politely. Korra laughed, gave Asami a little punch to the arm. Asami smirked, let her hands meet Korra’s as they started to slowly walk towards the car.

     “So, tell me, Miss Sato, if you’re comfortable that is, what’s up? You can tell me, I won’t bite”.

     They leaned on the railing again, the last touches of the Pacific twilight purple on the Golden Gate. She crossed her arms, looked down at the stinking, coursing water, white foam bubbles sloshed back and forth.

     “Hnph, Korra, I… I want to be a little more… _close_ , with you. I know we’ve been getting a little closer together on movie nights, that little sleepover we had, and… I really want to, _explore_ those things, further, if you’ll allow me. I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, but, I’ve been having these feelings awhile”. She felt like she could start crying again, but Korra placed her hand on hers, and they looked at each other. Korra drew a breath,

     “Asami, I would love to explore that with you, not that that’s my prerogative or something, anyway. … I, I would love to take that step with you, I, I know I can trust you, and I hope you can trust me to always be kind and there for you, and you can always call on me _OOOOF_ ”. Asami gripped Korra, hugging her tightly than she ever thought she could before. But that was before, this was **_now_**. Her make-up ran, her emotions making her crackshot dizzy. She felt Korra nuzzle against the side of her neck, and she laugh, sounding touched as well,

     “Asami, please don’t feel so bad, I know you want to be there for me, and…”

     “Korra, I can’t thank you enough. Now, I… I can’t promise I won’t be perfect, that I can be everything you want me to be. I’m going to try to give myself and you my all, but I know I get busy and distracted with things, so, please try to keep me balanced, okay? And yes, I’ll always be there for you too”. Korra wiped a tear streaming down Asami’s face, touched her shoulder,

     “Hey, let’s go home, we can chase the sunset back to Ocean Beach, and I’ll be ready to get in my jam-jams when we get home”. Asami smiled, slid her arm around Korra as they walked back to the car, Korra doing the same to Asami. They both peeked back at the Golden Gate, night now falling except for the pink streaks on the horizon.

     As they let themselves into the car, and Asami pulled out, she spoke up, that signature look of hers coming through tear-stained, but fierce as ever eyes,

     “Hey, when we get back, how ‘bout hitting up my bed tonight? It worked out so well last time, you can bring some clothes in there too if you need too”.

     Korra winked,

    “Sounds perfect”.


End file.
